TITLE-

MATERIALS OF FLOATING ARCHITECTURE

Future Of Living Is To Build On Water

Submitted by- Shivani Dharamthok

Year- 4th year (7th sem)
Submitted To-
Subject- RSPI
Dr. Sheeba Valsson Ma’am
College- S.D.MC.A
 INTRODUCTION

We all are aware of the environmental issue global warming. This problem is
caused due to the increase population of world. As the population is increasing the
biggest threat of land scarcity is running towards humans. The concept of floating
architecture is introduced as innovative solution to overcome this problem.
We know 71% of earth is covered with water. Advancement in
Floods technology, increase in economy rate leads to afford luxurious life for
people. Selection of material considering density and strength is challenge for
floating architecture.

Quickly profitable and sustainable investment • A floating construction has a

much lower price than a construction on land. It can achieve energy savings
everyday.
Land and plots • The purchase of a land is not required and there are many
varied affordable location (rivers, canals, lake, pond, ocean, floodplains).
Huge potential for commercial attractiveness • Eco-designed floating
architecture may lead you business it attract the curiosity of your customers
by its ecological and unusual character.
Title: Materials of Floating Architecture.
Aim: Assessment of building materials and recycled materials that can use for construction of floating architecture.
Objective:  To collect data on materials that have the scope on being used for floating structure.
 To analyze the secondary data and finding the different possibilities of using locally
available and recycled materials in different ways for floating structures.
 To understand which forces acts on floating structures and responsible for failure of
design.
 To recommend which materials can use to overcome the failure of design due to acting
forces
Research Questions:  What is mean by floating architecture?
 What are the materials available for floating architecture?
 What challenges have to face while constructing on water?
 Which locally available materials can be used for floating architecture?
 What considerations has to be taken while constructing on water?
 Which lateral forces acts on the floating structure?
 Which materials are used to construct base of the structure to carry heavy load of
superstructure?
Scope:
 Floating architecture is the futuristic approach in field of architecture.
 Floating buildings may have different roles it may design for commercial, residential, recreational, institutional.
 Floating building can be step for betterment of future living.
 Use of recycled materials and locally available materials will be the opportunity to save environment from
degradation of natural resources.
 Advance building materials may use as strong base material for the floating structure to avoid failure and save
lives.
 
Limitations:
 Floating architecture materials have limitations of acting forces.
 Costing of some advance building materials may put certain limitations while working.
 PRELIMINARY STUDY
Selection Of Materials For Floating Architecture Considering Following Factors-

 Arctic ice melt- Melting Arctic ice from glaciers and surface ice is producing the equivalent of 14,000 tons per
second of water into the Earth’s oceans, a recent scientific survey found. Examining land-ice patterns in the Arctic
between 1971 and 2017, the study concluded that in the past 47 years, ice melting in the Arctic has contributed 23
millimeters (nearly an inch) to rising sea levels.
 Sea level rise- Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related
to global warming: the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers
and the expansion of seawater as it warm.
 Floods- Most common way of flooding is when rivers or streams
overflow their banks. Excessive rain, a ruptured dam, rapid ice melting
in the mountains, or even an unfortunately placed beaver dam can
overwhelm a river and send it spreading over the adjacent land, called
a floodplain. Coastal flooding occurs when a large storm or tsunami Source- climate.nasa.gov
causes the sea to surge inland.
Fig- Sea Level Rise Graph.

These are some main reasons taking into considerations while selecting materials for floating architecture.
Reference- 1. World Ocean Review, Coping with rising sea levels and natural hazards. https://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-5/wor-5-in-short/
2. https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
3. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/floods/
 Secondary Data Collection

Case Studies- • Literature Case Study- 1. Makoko floating school- Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed
to live and work with water- By Robert Barker and Richard Coutts,2016, RIBA publishing.
• 2. Poovar Island Resort- MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-DISSERTATION- by
Department of Architecture, TKMCE, Kollam. (Research Paper)
• Website Study- 3. LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house)
-https://www.lifthouse.org/

Books - • Built On Water (Floating Architecture + Design) - By Lisa Baker

• Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water- By Robert Barker
and Richard Coutts,2016, RIBA publishing.
Ted Talks- • Designing living system to clean polluted water: Bio Architecture - Shneel Malik
• Discover the materials of the future for Salt Lake City - Dr. Taylor Sparks.
Research Paper- • MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-DISSERTATION- by Department of Architecture,
TKMCE, Kollam.
• Renewable energy application in floating architecture – by Chango Moon (Kunsan National
University)
• Floating buildings opportunities for future sustainable development energy efficiency gains
-By Shahryar Habibi
 SECONDARY DATA
1. Concrete pontoon
 Concrete pontoons are more popular as compared to other pontoons for its stability and durability.
 The concrete pontoons are filled with foam plastic, covered platforms and wooden frames from all sides with
armoconcrete.
 These pontoons are resistant to freezing and to saltwater exposure. The pontoons are designed of two types-
heavier are made of concrete and the lighter ones made of wood, are designed to last for 30-50 years.
 The all concrete and Styrofoam construction of the pontoon produces a very high degree of buoyancy thus
making it virtually unsinkable.
 It is practically maintenance-free and has small or no impact upon Nature and the Environment. Each standard
pontoon is designed to accept electrical and water supply services.
 Pontoons are connected by flexible rubber joints and anchored
with chains and concrete anchoring.
 Concrete pontoons having high load capacity and they provide long
service life. They can be used as piers, breakwaters or trestle
bridges.

• https://www.ponton.lv/english/pontoons/concrete-pontoons/
 Floating Pavilion, Taiwan, China.

Concrete Pontoon can be used for construction of floating structure.

High rise construction on water with this material. Also floating pathways
can be constructed with concrete pontoons.

Concrete Pontoons acts as the

foundation for floating buildings.

Reference-
https://www.ponton.lv/english/pontoons/concrete-
pontoons/
2. Metal pontoons-
Metal pontoons are made of iron pipes in diameter from 500 to 1220mm. Such pontoons have wall thickness from
8mm to 12mm. The ends of the pontoon pipes are thoroughly whipped. The weld quality is tested at a pressure of 5
atm. These metal pontoons are used as the supporter along this span fiber skeleton placed and tied up. Fiber board
is placed on this skeleton, this acts as the floor slab and the entire structure placed on this.
 Non corrosive material
 Buyout condition is best.
 Long life material.

Reference- https://www.ponton.lv/english/pontoons/concrete-pontoons/
3. Plastic Pontoons-
 Plastic pontoons are equipped with plastic floating platforms and wooden frames. Pontoons can be used for
various purposes such as a boat station, as a footbridge or simply as a platform for relaxing and spending time by
the water.
 There are three sizes of pontoons – 220 l, 400 l and 450 l.
 450 l pontoons are filled with EPS foam. All pontoons are resistant to UV-rays and freezing.

 Plastic Pontoons can use for constructing pathways and foot

bridges on water.
 No high rise can construct on this material.
 If load increases then here is chance of this material to sink.

Reference- https://www.ponton.lv/english/pontoons/concrete-pontoons/
4. Concrete Standard Caisson

The standard concrete caisson is a closed concrete box with concrete walls, bottom and top.
Larger caissons also have concrete inner walls. This has two reasons: - decreasing the spans - partitioning for safety
if there is case of leakage
Advantages:
• large weight stability • internal space
• high durability/low maintenance
Disadvantages:
• buoyant capacity • large draught • sinkable

Reference- https://www.ponton.lv/english/pontoons/concrete-pontoons/
5. Pneumatic Caisson

 The difference between the concrete standard caisson and the pneumatic
caisson, is that the pneumatic concrete has no bottom and the material used is
concrete pipes.
 Now the buoyancy must come from the enclosed air between water and
concrete top.
 Usually the air pressure is increased by high pressure air pumps.
 This system will fail if the enclosed air will escape, so airtightness is very
important which is not seen in this material.
 This floating system is in fact not suitable as floating body for floating structures,
since it has a very low buoyancy and it is a somewhat risky system.

Reference- https://www.ponton.lv/english/pontoons/concrete-pontoons/
6. Log float

 In olden days Log floats where used as the buoyant foundation of old floating
architecture.
 For this purpose, rafts using timber logs were used. Larger logs that are stacked in
an inverted triangle beneath the water and the timber stringers that sit on top.
 Over time, maintenance is required for both the stringers that are subject to
deterioration and need to be replaced, and the logs that slowly take on water and
sink.

 Additional floatation must be added such as

air-filled plastic barrels, to keep a house
afloat and level.

Reference- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_rafting
7. SHIPPING CONTAINER
 Shipping container is the form of architecture using steel intermodal
containers (Shipping Container) as the structural element.
 The use of containers as a building material has grown in popularity
over the past several years due to their inherent strength, wide
availability, and relatively low expense.
 Homes have also been built with containers because they are seen as
more eco-friendly than traditional building materials such as brick and
cement.
 Shipping container have high exposure to saltwater, toughest material,
average to cost and high durability.
 Shipping containers are easy to dismantle so it can reusable.
 This material is proving its efficiency for floating architecture.
DATA RELATED TO FLOATATION

Buoyancy- In physics buoyancy is the upward force on an object arising from the displacement of the fluid that is liquid
or gas in which it is fully or partially immersed. This force enables the object to float or appear lighter.

Wind loading - Wind loading shall be applied to the completed floating home including dead load and live load but not
off-center loading.

Reference-1. Built On Water (Floating Architecture + Design) - By Lisa Baker

2. https://physics.info/buoyancy/summary.shtml
Weight stability-

The lower the center of gravity, the more stable the floating structure.
If the center of gravity is located lower than the hinge where the
floating body tilts around, than the structure will always, like a tumbler
raise itself. Weight stability will only be effective with large rotations.
The larger the rotation, the larger the uplifting moment. This means the
stability increases with the rotation.

High-rise-

High rise is possible With a high floating structure, like an apartment

building on a floating body, the center of gravity of the structure will
go up, and the draught of the float easy becomes high. Both could
be a problem for stability. But when the floating body is given a
large enough width, also high-rise is possible

Reference- Built On Water (Floating Architecture + Design) - By Lisa Baker

 CASE STUDY

Name- Makoko floating school

Location- Makoko, Lagos, Nigeria.

Typology: School, community building
Area: 220 m2

Why I Choose MFS?

In a geographically changing world where water levels are steadily rising, many coastal and waterfront communities
are finding themselves inundated with the problem of adaptive housing solutions that withstand swelling tides and
swift currents. MFS was the second attempt to rebuild this school on water, first when they build it was collapsed,
children who were present at school also caught in this accident many of them loose their life too. This MFS is
excellent example for how selection of materials plays vital road in floating architecture.
Building data-
• The building is a 10 m x 10 m wide and 10 m tall A-shaped pyramid.
• It has three levels.
• On the first level is a 100 m2 open space.
• On the second level is a 50 m2 enclosed classroom space.
• On the third level is a 50 m2 semi-enclosed multi-purpose space. The total surface, including service space, is 220 m2 .

Reference- Makoko floating school- Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water- By Robert Barker and Richard Coutts,2016, RIBA publishing.
Climatic conditions
 Makoko has a tropical wet and dry climate, that borders on a
tropical monsoon climate.
 It experiences two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rain falling from
April to July and a weaker rainy season in October and November.
 The longer December to march season is accompanied by
harmattan wind from the desert.
 Particularly in the heavy rain season, rainfall can be quite severe,
averaging over 300 mm per month.
 Although mean annual due to climate change there have been
fewer rainstorms recorded, creating a tendency for more severe
precipitation and more floods.
Site and surrounding

 The floating school is located on the eastern edge of Makoko,

just south of the mouth of the main canal. Access via boat only.
 From the mainland one tarmac road, Makoko street, feeds the
settlement via various entry allays that lead to the water’s
edge. All the houses are built on stilts.
 Wood is by far the predominant building material, although
Reference- Makoko floating school- Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water- By Robert
Barker and Richard Coutts,2016, RIBA publishing.
Materials
• Structural members the foundation raft is assembled with plastic
barrels and wooden frames.
• The A-frame superstructure is assembled with local hard-wood beams
and bamboo joints.
• Wooden panels and bamboo louvers.
• Roofing is assembled with metal sheets and interior reed ceiling.

Analysis

 Though MFS-1 was a failure as it collapsed later on, the

idea is innovative. With further testing and improvement,
it could be made strong.
 The Makoko floating school used all locally available and
low-cost materials such as bamboo.
 If at all it collapses it can be reconstructed.
 The base is made up of simple plastic barrels and wood
hence making it easy for people to build by self.
• Wooden panels and bamboo louvers, metal sheets
Reference- Makoko floating school- Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed to
live and work with water- By Robert Barker and Richard Coutts,2016, RIBA interior reed ceiling (bamboo mat).
publishing.
 POOVAR ISLAND RESORT
 Location: Pozhiyoor, Trivandrum, Kerala
 Project: Poovar island resort
 Area: 25 acres
 Constructed by: Flotels India Pvt. Ltd.
 Owner: M.R. Narayanan

 A ½ inch flexible PVC hose are

 12 Floating Cottages & 04 Deluxe Floating Cottages. used to pump the waste.
 The services are taken through the void inside the  Waterlines are connected
hull. through ¼ inch flexible PVC
 Manholes are given on the floor for inspection of the tube to the floating cottage.
services.  The electricity supply is made
 Septic tanks are placed inside the hull and each septic through submersible cables.
tank is connected to an automatic pump that pumps Reference- Poovar Island Resort- MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-
DISSERTATION- by Department of Architecture, TKMCE, Kollam. (Research
the waste to a collections tank on land.
Paper)
Construction and materials used –
 The material used are all available locally from the market.
 The cottages are docked on a 1m deep hard chine hull.
 The cottage is built in traditional Kerala architecture and it is made up of
Malaysian teak wood as wood can be easily dismantled and is lighter than Fig- Hull shape base
a concrete structure. (Concrete Caisson)
 The material used for the hull are laminated cement using fiber steel.
 1-layer weld mesh, 2-layers of expanded metal, 8mm stainless steel rod is used to make the case of the hull and
then a coat of cement is sprayed on it and again a layer of weld mesh is used along with cement coating to finish it.
 Hollow bulk-heads hold the slab above it and also is the frame work for the hull base.
 The hull is covered with a base and plinth is made on it and bolted with stainless steel
bolts and the rest of the superstructure is made on it.
 The floor area is under 500 sq. ft.
 The plan consists of a bedroom with an attached bathroom and a balcony overlooking
the Neyyar river.
 One cottage would cost around 30 Lakh to construct.

Reference- Poovar Island Resort- MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-DISSERTATION- by Department of Architecture,

Transferring waste to ground
TKMCE, Kollam. (Research Paper)
 Analysis
 Locally available materials such as bamboo, bamboo mats are used for construction.
 Mangalore tiles are used for the roofing. Truss roofs are used. This type of roofing helps to transfer the load to
the centre, which is necessary for the load stability.
 The material used for the hull are laminated cement using fiber steel i.e- ( Concrete Caisson)
 1-layer weld mesh, 2-layers of expanded metal, 8mm stainless steel rod is used to make the case of the hull
and then a coat of cement is sprayed on it and again a layer of weld mesh is used along with cement coating
to finish it.

Reference- Poovar Island Resort- MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-DISSERTATION- by Department of Architecture, TKMCE, Kollam. (Research Paper)
 LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house)
The LIFT House is an amphibious housing solution for flood prone communities. It is an innovative house that floats
up with rising floodwater and returns to ground as the flood recedes.
 DATE COMPLETED: 2010
 ASSOCIATED NAMES: Prithula Prosun (architect)
 CLIENT: Bangladesh Ministry of Housing & Public Works
 BUILDING TYPE: Residential
 BUILDING USAGE: Private residence
 DIMENSIONS: 92 m²
 MATERIALS / TECHNIQUES: Bamboo and recycled plastic
water bottles.

Why I Choose Floating Architecture Topic?

Millions are displaced and many lose lives during severe floods due to the overflowing of rivers, inadequate drainage
and monsoon rain in Bangladesh. Floods cause the most damage to the low-income population who live in informal
settlements throughout the urban centers of the country. This house is brilliant example of how recycled material plastic
bottles can be used in floating architecture.

Reference- LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house) -https://www.lifthouse.org/

 The LIFT House provides low-cost flood-resilient housing that is amphibious,
functioning both in land and in water.
 The two amphibious units of the LIFT House float upwards with rising water levels
due to floods and return to ground level as the water recedes.
 This architecture is a cost-effective and safe alternative to permanent solution and
is achieved by the design of buoyant foundations.
 The LIFT House has two parts: the static SERVICE SPINE and the AMPHIBIOUS
UNITS.
 The two amphibious bamboo units on buoyant foundations are attached to the
service spine, a static service spine structure built out of brick and concrete that
provides vertical guidance and stability to the two dwellings while the units float
on water.

Reference- LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house) -https://www.lifthouse.org /

 Bamboo was the chosen building material for the amphibious dwellings due to its
versatility, light weight, environmental benefits and low cost.
 The LIFT house roofing was designed to be lightweight, affordable, and
maintainable. The common material choice of corrugated tin was rejected due to
its inappropriateness to the climate, Bamboo was used in three layers in the LIFT
house.
 Door frames were made from Gorjon wood and cladded with bamboo mats on
either side. The door handles were cut from a rare species of bamboo that is
extremely sturdy and straight. This bamboo was also used in the stair railings.
 Sustainable and recycled material is used such as bamboo, recycled water bottles.
 External cladding, interior finishes and roofing are all made from indigenous
materials.
 Ferro cement is used for one of the buoyant foundations.

Reference- LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house)

-https://www.lifthouse.org/
 Analysis
 The LIFT house has tried to innovate 2 different types of buoyant foundations have been tried.
 Both were successfully tested. The water bottle foundation required less depth than ferro-cement foundation.
 The building is sustainable and uses light weight materials such as wood and bamboo along with brick.
 Services through the basement is not possible in the bottle foundation, where as the ferro-cement foundation
has a possibility.
 This case study is the perfect example of how plastic bottles can be used for the foundation of floating structure.
 This recycled material can use in floating architecture to make it float.
 Also light weight and locally available material bamboo can use for installation.
 Concrete can also use to bring stability to floating structure.

Reference- LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house) -https://www.lifthouse.org/

 Analysis Of TED TALKS
1. Discover the materials of the future for Salt Lake City-
Dr. Taylor Sparks.
Name- Dr. Taylor Sparks
Profession- Researcher, Director and
Professor of materials lab University
Of Utah
Education- Ph.D. in materials and
technology- University of oxford,
England.
Co Floating cities, the Lego House and architectural forms
Dr. Taylor Sparks of
hasfuture
told in- this
Bjarke
talkIngles
that the materials
may cause the major impact on nature and phycology of
humans. Further he talks about future of living is to build
on water. Bamboo, concrete caisson, plastic bottles
foundation can use as alternative materials for floating
architecture. More preference to be given to locally
available material in this TED session.
2. Designing living system to clean polluted water:
Bio Architecture - Shneel Malik
Name- Shneel Malik
Profession- Architect
Education- Bartlett School of
Architecture
London,
United Kingdom
Co Floating cities, the Lego House and architectural forms
Ar. Shneel Malik has told in this talk that while designing
of future - Bjarke Ingles
floating architecture the most important component is
the selection of material for the base. As base is
constantly exposed to the water, material must be water
resistant and saltwater exposure. Some advanced
materials such as metal pontoons, concrete caisson can
be used as the base for floating structures. Dead load
reduction by using lighter materials have to be done to
avoid sink.
 Primary Data Collection
o SAMPLE- Amsterdam-based firm Attika Architekten.
This firm has designed float in lelystad. (one of the
famous floating building)
o Principal architect of this firm – Ar. R.J. van Loenhout
Gmail address- attikaarchitekten.nl@gmail.com
MAIL QUESTIONNAIRE
• How many floating projects have you done till date?
• According to you which materials can be suitable for the construction of floating
architecture?
• What considerations in terms of acting forces are taken in consideration while selecting
material?
• Have you used any recycled material for the construction in your projects till date? If
yes then which?
• What are the conditions for materials while designing for floating?
• Have you used any locally available material in your design for floating architecture?
• If yes then which material you used?
• What challenges do you face while working for a floating building?
• Would you like to share any experience of yours while working on any floating building?
 §How many floating projects you have done till date?
-  I have done 7 floating buildings till date of my architecture career. All the projects were popular from Amsterdam And
Netherland.

§According to you  which materials can be suitable for the construction of floating architecture?
-  My personal liking is for contemporary architecture and we use advanced building materials for all floating structures.
We have a special team when we deal with floating structures. Materials like concrete caisson, metal pontoons, concrete
pontoons, foam filled steel pontoons also give more preference to the steel columns, steel beams to carry and transfer
load to the base. We use mostly PVC for wall and acrylic as the alternative material to replace glass used for windows.

§ Which precautions in terms of acting forces are taken in consideration while selecting material?
-  Yes, I must highlight while selecting the material bouncy and strength of the material has to be checked. Also acting
loads-  wind load, dead load, live load of structure has to be taken into consideration.

§Have you used any recycled material for the construction in your projects till date? If yes then which?
- Yes, I had worked with glass as recycled building material in many floating projects.  Float in lelystad, Kobo floating
home, Variations on theme these are my projects, I use recycled glass to give aesthetic touch to my floating projects. Also
in the category of recycled material I use shipping containers as wall material.
 Kobo floating home Variation on theme
Material- Shipping Container Glass used for facade

 What are the conditions for materials while designing for floating?
- Basic conditions for the materials are – material must satisfy the buoyancy of the liquid i.e. water. Buoyant force acting
on the material helps the body to float on water. Also wind loading is the quality of material which leads to stand
structure by water. Load has to be concentrated on the centre of structure to avoid it from sinking. 

§ Have you used any locally available material in your design for floating architecture?
- Yes, I have used stone as naturally available material for my floating project. It was an experiment conducted on one of
my project and we succeeded in that. We were not sure if the heavy load of structure acting on the stone foundation
bottom will hold 1000KN load, we did lab testing for stones and the results were satisfying. So we decided to use it as
filling material for concrete pontoons which were the base of structure. Also we use Magnetite stones which were easily
available in Amsterdam for façade treatment of floating home.
 Magnetite used for façade treatment.

 What challenges do you face while working for a floating building?

- While working on floating structure one has to face certain limitations in terms of materials, acting forces,
foundation stability, factor of stiffness, tension and compression of material. The most important component while
working for this key factor is selection of material. If correct material has been selected satisfying all the conditions
then you may succeed otherwise there are a lot of examples of failure of floating architecture. 
 Would you like to share any experience of yours while working on any floating building?
- Yes definitely, my first floating project was Float in lelystad, a team of 3 associate architects were working with me. We
took 200 working days to complete that project. Time taken by us was much longer because we failed in our very first
attempt due to the base sinking in water due to disturbance of the centre of gravity, so selection of material for base is
the vital criteria.  
 
Sun, Nov 1, 4:53 PM, (22 days ago)
SUMARRY TABLE OF MATERIALS
Sr. no MATERIALS SPECIFICATIONS
1. Concrete Pontoons Have more stability than any other material.
2. Metal Pontoons Effective material to carry heavy as well as light load.
3. Plastic Pontoons They can carry only light weight. This is risky material.
4. Standard Concrete Caisson It is on of the effective material use to construct high rise on water
5. Pneumatic Caisson Pneumatic caisson is the concrete pier. This may have risk of sink.
6. Log Float Log float is ancient way to stay on water. Also wood is locally available material.
7. Shipping Container It is excellent example of recycle material to built on water. Cost effective material.

8. Plastic barrels Use of plastic barrels is the most effective way to overcome issue of plastic in
environment.
9. Bamboo Bamboo is the excellent example of naturally available material for the floating
architecture.
10. Recycled Plastic water bottles Plastic bottles foundation is cost effective and innovative way for future.
11. Glass Glass is the excellent example of recycle material can use for floating
12. Stones Stones is the naturally available material can be used for the floating architecture.
 PRIMARY DATA ANALYSIS

 Based on mail questionnaire survey, analysis and discussion states that materials having high bouncy, weight
stability, loading capacity are proving to be adopted for floating architecture.
 Concrete Pontoons, Metal Pontoons, Plastic Pontoons, Standard Concrete Caisson, Pneumatic Caisson, Log Float,
Shipping Container, Plastic barrels, Bamboo, Recycled Plastic water bottles, Glass, Stones are the materials
analyse from the primary data.
 Usability of these materials are proving heads in floating architecture. Ar. R.J. van Loenhout shared his
experience about how materials play vital role in floating architecture.
SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS

 Case study, literature review, website study and ted talks bring to the final result that materials such as Concrete
Pontoons, Metal Pontoons, Plastic Pontoons, Standard Concrete Caisson, Pneumatic Caisson, Log Float, Shipping
Container, Plastic barrels, Bamboo, Recycled Plastic water bottles, Glass, Stones are proving to use for floating
buildings.
 Case study of Poovar Island bring idea for shapes of base which has to be selected for floating buildings, Case
study of LIFT HOUSE proves plastic bottles can be use as the material.
 Ted Talks gives us brief idea about the high bouncy, weight stability, loading capacity are the conditions for the
selection of materials.
 From both the data analysis we reached up to satisfactory level of this research to made or conclusions and
inferences.
INFERENCES:
 From the above study we have a brief idea of materials and their conditions, forces such as buoyant force, wind
loading and weight stability.
 Concrete Pontoons, Metal Pontoons, Plastic Pontoons, Standard Concrete Caisson, Pneumatic Caisson, Log Float,
Shipping Container, Plastic barrels, Bamboo, Recycled Plastic water bottles, Glass, Stones these are the materials
that can be used for floating architecture.
Conclusion:
 From the entire study we can understand that the floating structures are simple to construct.
 Through this study we have arrived at various possibilities to use combinations of reusable materials and using
the conventional and traditional materials.
 Concrete pontoons, metal pontoons, concrete caisson, log float, fiber board are the materials that can use for
the construction of floating structure.
 Bamboo is the traditional, locally available and cheapest material available for the floating architecture.
 Plastic water bottles are proving best for the flotation, this the excellent example of recycled material use for
construction of floating structure.
 Buoyant force, wind loading and weight stability are forces and conditions act on floating structures.
References-
 Makoko floating school- Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water- By
Robert Barker and Richard Coutts,2016, RIBA publishing.
 2. Poovar Island Resort- MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-DISSERTATION- by Department of
Architecture, TKMCE, Kollam. (Research Paper)
 Website Study- 2. LIFT House (Low Income Flood-proof Technology house)
-https://www.lifthouse.org/
 Built On Water (Floating Architecture + Design) - By Lisa Baker
 Aquatecture-Buildings and cities designed to live and work with water- By Robert Barker and Richard
Coutts,2016, RIBA publishing.
 MATERIALS-OF-FLOATING-ARCHITECTURE-DISSERTATION- by Department of Architecture, TKMCE,
Kollam.
 Renewable energy application in floating architecture – by Chango Moon (Kunsan National University)
 Floating buildings opportunities for future sustainable development energy efficiency gains
-By Shahryar Habibi
 Designing living system to clean polluted water: Bio Architecture - Shneel Malik
 Discover the materials of the future for Salt Lake City - Dr. Taylor Sparks.
THANK YOU!